Aboutweddings.com wedding invitations article: preparation / addressing & assembling

Ordering your wedding stationery is step one. Step two is the addressing and stuffing of the envelopes. Formal wedding invitations are accompanied by an inner and outer envelope, requiring a specific order of composition and placement. The inner envelope accommodates the invitation and all enclosure cards. The order of enclosures, are: ceremony invitation on the bottom; reception card in the middle; response card; and map, if provided, on top. If your invitations are folded twice, the enclosures may be placed inside the second fold. These are inserted into the inner envelope face up, with the folded edge down. The inner envelope is then addressed. For example: to "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas," with neither first names nor address. If children are being invited, their first names should follow on a second line, as "Tyler, Tanner, Trevor and Austin."

The inner envelope is then inserted into the outer envelope with the name facing the back flap, so the name is visible as the invitation is removed from the outer envelope.

Outer envelopes are gummed for mailing and should have a return address engraved or printed on the back flap. Address the outer envelope to both parties of a married couple using their full name, such as "Mr. and Mrs. Gary Thomas." When an unmarried couple that lives together is invited, use their full names: "Mr. Ethan Wright and Miss Joanie Witte." If you are inviting guests of single friends, they should receive their own invitations. Follow standard rules of invitation wording, street names, cities and states should be spelled out in full, no abbreviations.

When every member of a family is invited, the envelope may be addressed: "Mr. and Mrs. Gary Thomas and Family." If only the older children are included, the names are written below the parents', for example: "Miss Lexi Thomas and Messieur Travis Thomas."

When hand-addressing envelopes, use blue, blue-black, black or charcoal gray ink. For an elegant, more uniform look consider calligraphy. Options range from professional hand-calligraphers specializing in formal calligraphy, couture calligraphers that offer several different fun and whimsical writing styles, or computer-generated calligraphy. In addition to saving time, artful calligraphy, whether by computer or by hand, adds an elegant finishing touch to your invitation.

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